Changeable-speed gearing.



PATENTED NOV. 19

5. 3.61: C. D. HAWLBY. GHANGEABLB SPEED GBARING.

APBLIOATIOH-PILED ME. 6. 1907.

J 6 6 p. a a:

M M E PATBNTED NOV. 19, 1:307.

- .1. e. & 0. D. HAWLEY.

.GHANGEABLE SPEED GEARING.

APPLICATION FILED HA3. 6. 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET R.

UN ITED STATES CHANG-EA TIE-SPEED GEARING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patents-(536cm 19, 1907.

Application 5125 March 6.1 307. Ser al lie. 365.911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Jesse G. ihwLnY and CHARLES-DOUGLAS irAWLEY, citizens of the United States, residing at Stratford, in

6 thelcounty of Fuirfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ChangeablcSpeed Gearings, of which the following is a specification. This invention conteu'ipla-tes certain new 10 and useful improvements in power transmission mechanism for automobiles, motor boats, and for machinery generally, and the invention has for its object an improved construction of variable speed gearing which will transmit from a drive shaft to the driven shaft motion at different speeds in a simple and ellicient manner and with a durable construction composed of comparatively few and simple arts. T 1e invention consists primarily in an imroved variable speed gearing embodying a rive shaft, and a driven shaft, any desired number of-gear elements on the drive shaft, and a corresponding number of gear elements operatively coupled to the driven shaft and arranged to be successively meshed with the gears of the drive shaft, one gear atter'nnother being thrown into meshing engagement without effecting the disengagement of the gears previously thrown into engagement, whereby a direct drive on all speeds is efi'ected and all gears are allowed to be in mesh at the same time, thereby permitting the operator to change from alower speed to a higher s ocd without throwing any of the gears out o mesh and losing the headway he has gained, and conversely permitting the operator or driver (say of an automobile) to take a lower speed on a hill or'grade without 0 danger of slipping back, asis the case where the gears must be thrown out in order to change.

The invention further consists in certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of the parts which we shall hereinafter full describe and then point out the novel features in the a )pended claims. For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and also to ac aim a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanyingdrawings,inwhich:

Figure '-1 is a topdplan view of my immved variable spec gearing, the gearing i'ng shown in section; Fig. 2 is a transi I l i i i illustrrting one form of clutch Tm the drive.

pinions; and, Fig. 7 is a sectional view thereof on the line of Fig: 5.

finresponding and like parts a e referred to in the following description and indicated in ai the views of the drawings by the same reference characters Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the drive shaft of my improved variable speed gearingy Said shaft in the present. instance being jOllllLillUtl at one end in a bearing 2 which is formed on the yoke 3, and which is braced by rods 4 connected at their outer ends to the heads and :3. The said heads may he provided with outstandthe-sub-frame of an automobile. S design'ates the body of the ease within which the gear transmission mechanism is'mounted.

'H, M and L designate, respectively, three bevel pinions mounted on the drive shaft 1 and in spaced relation, the pinion H in the present instance being the high speed gear, the pinion M, the intermedia e speed gear, and the pinion l, the low speed gear. While I have shown three gears on the main shaft, and shall hereina ler describe my invention as embodied in mechanism capable of changing to three dill'erent speeds, it is manifest 'that the invention is not limited to any number of s reeds. The riven shaft 1 may be connected to the rear wheels of an ,automobileby a chain or other connection (not shown) or in any desired way to the part to which it is intended to impart motion, and said driven shal't extends through the casing and is journnled therein bv means of suitable thrust bearings and ball bearing thrust collars, as indicated in the drawings and extends at right angles i to the drive shaft 1. A disk 9 is keyed or otherwise secured upon'thc driven shaft 1 in proximity to the .piuions H, M and L and ranging alongside of the peripheries of said pinions,.and said disk is in the present instance formed'wifh three series ofapertures extending transversely therethrough and in which three sets of spokes 10, 11 and 12 are mg ears 7, so that they may e l'astcned to S0 of the springs 19, an intermediate set of direction. the different sets of pins and these, cam surother, without releasing any set, during the successive movement by arran ing or mountlines from the other sets, and by forming the -concentric rings that are rigidly secured to mounted to slide. The set of spokes car- 1 ries a bevel ear wheel '13 ada ted to mesh with the high speed pinion the set of spokes 11 carries a larger bevel gear 14 adapted to mesh with the intermediate speed pinion M, and the" set of spokes 12 carries a still larger bevel gear adapted to mesh with the low speed pinion L; The bevel gears 13, 14 and 15 are in the form of concentric rings:

16', 17 and 18 designate, respectively, three the outermost ends of the respective sets of spokes 10, 11 and 12, and each one of the spokes is encircled by a spring 19, said springs, under normal conditions, if permitted to have free play, pressing the rings 16, 17 and 18 outwardly with respect to the disk 9, so as to carrythe ring-like bevel gears 13,

pinions H, and

' set of pins 20 is adapted to press the innermost ring 18 inwardly agalinst the tension ins 21, concentric to the set 20, is designed or the same purpose with respect to the intermediate rings 17 and an outer set 22, serves the same function for the outermost ring 16. Each one of the ins 20, 21 and 22 carries an antifriction whee or roller 23 at its inner end designed to 'bear directly against its respective ring, and each set of these pins is in re stry with its respective ring, as clearly i ustrated in the drawings. All of these pins are mounted to slide transversely through'apertures formed to receive them in the head 6 of the casing, and they are revided with rounded ends protruding vom said apertures on the outer face of said head and are desi 'ned to be engaged by the actuating cam disk 24. This disk is mounted to turn on the driven shaft 1 and is located against the enter face of the head 6 of the casing. four cam surfaces 25 that are adapted to engage the pins 22, the pins 21, and the pins 20, in succession, as sai disk is turned in one Any desired cr rrelation between faces may be arranged, so long as the pins will be pressed inwa dly, one set after the movement of the disk in one direction. In the present instance, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5'which is in the nature of a diagrammatic view, it will be seen that I e'tl'ect this ing the pins oi each set in itferent radial cam surface of the disk with their advancing edges extending radially to the disk. Hence, as the disk is turned in one direction, the cam surfaces 25 will first push in the outermost set of pins, will then push in the intermediate set of pins,'while still holding the outermost set pnshedin, and will finally push The cam disk- 24 is provided with in the innermost set of pins while the other two sets are held in their pushed in condition. In order to turn the disk any means may be employed. In the present instance, we have shown the disk provided with a lug 26 to which one end of a link or connectin' rod 27 is attached, said rod extending to a and lever or foot pedal, (not shown).

28 designates a reverse gear wheel which is formed with bevel teeth, as shown, adapted to mesh with the low s eed pinion L and which is splined on .the riven shaft 1" and which is provided with a cam or collar 29' adapted to be engaged by a corresponding collar 30 loosely mounted on the driven sha t and actuated by means of a connecting rod in any desired manner;

In the practical operation, when the disk 24 is turned so that none of its cam surfaces engage the pins, the rings 19 that are interposed between the isk 9 and the several meut of the cams 25 with the pins, an t e first engagement will obvious press the outermost set of pins 22 inwar ly and said pins will in turn p ess against the outermost ring 16 and move the same against the tension of the springs 19 so as to carry the low speed bevel gear 15 into meshing engagement with the low eed inion L. A continued movement of t e dis 24 in the same direcw tion will effect the meshing engagement of the intermediate ring or gear 14 with the intermediate speed pinion M, while at the same time the ears 15 and L are still ke' t in mesh, and a sti 1 further movement of t a disk 24 in the same direction will cause a correspondmg engagement of the'gears 1.3 and H to esta lish high syieed, while at the same time the gears 14 and I are still ke t in engagement as are also the ears 15 and be seentthat a irect drive is effected on all L. It will thus speeds, that the arrangement allows all gears to be in mesh at the same time and that by this means, the operator is emitted to change from one speed to a -jgher' speed without throwing any of the ears out of mesh and losing the headway t rat has been gained. The reverse movement, is obvious,

and it is manifest that in the reverse, the opmrist be rovided for permitting the low and interine iate speed gears L and M to 's in on the drive shaft orrevolve thereon at a ighe-r rate of speed than the shaft itself, as, otherwise they would be stripped. The pinions L and M, are, therefore, fitted with eiiher a friction grip or ratchet drive, and in the present instance. for the purposes of illustration onlv, I have shown atype of friction grip which may be employed to a om li h th desired end.

For each of the pinions on the drive shaft, except the high speed pinion. we provide a. sleeve 33 which is lteyvr or otherwise rigidly secured to the drh "n". l and which is encircled h an annular k 32. To thdisk 32 t u or nmrc ercem ri iZlTllF '1 are pivoted, and said arms are (:nnnectcri at one end to links 145 that. are in turn connected to the sleeve 3-. Each eccentric arm 34 is preferably provid d with a lmrdeuetl insert or wear plate 37. When force i exertml on the drive shaft, itis obvious that-the eccentric grips or arms 34 will expand and grip the p'inions firmly. When a, higher speed in operation,

the said arms will allow said pimons to revolve noisclessly on the drive shaft.

From the foregoing description in connec: tion with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that we have provided a very simple and el'licientconstruction of variable speed gearing, in which all or the gears may be maintained in n-rcsh at the some time with the eonseqeo-nt advantages resulting from this arrangement.

0i c UYS9. it is to be understood that our invention mar he used with any diiferent-ial or compensating gea-rin Having thus described the invention, what, is claimed as new is;

1. 'l lw combination of a drive shaft, n driven shaft, r series of gear elements on the drive shal and mounted for driving 65211166- tion therewith, s series of gear elements all of which are movable. with the driven shaft, mid means for connecting said last named. gear elements successively with the. first named gear elements and for maintaining the gears one after another in mesh.

2. The combination of a drive shaft, high,

intermediate, and low speed gear elements on said drive shaft, a driven shaft, a series of concentric gear rings mounted on. and rnov able with the driven shaft, means for causing the successive engagementof said ings with the low speed gear element, intermediate speed gear element, and high speed gear element of the drive. shaft, ii turn and for-holding each of the speed gear elements in mesh after another has been cansed'to mesh, and means for clutching the low and intermediate speed gear elements to the drive-shaft, raid clutching means permitting said last named gear elcnmnls to over-run.

3. The combination of a drive shaft, a series of bevel pinions mounted on said shaft, adriven shalt mounted at substantially right angles to the drive shaft, :1 series of gear rings mounted on the driven shaft to move therewith and longitudinally adjustable on such shaft, means for moving said gear rings one after the other into engagement with said bevel pinions and for holding the previously meshed gears in engagement after a shaftto turn therewith and movable rclatively on the shaft, and means for etl'e-c-tiug a. meshing engagement of the respective bevel gear rin s with the bevel pinions in succession witnout disengaging any gear.

5, The combination of a drive shaft, high, v

intermediate, and low speed bevel piuions mounted on said shaft, the intermediate and low speed pinions having a clutching engagementwith said shaft and adnptedto turn free thereon when moved faster than the shaft itself in the forward rotation of the latter, the high speed pinion being fast on the shaft, a driven shaft, a series of concentricallv mounted bevel "ear rin s on. said driven.

shaft, and mounted to turn therewith but in- 9a dependently movable longitudinally thereof, said rings being located in registry with the respective bevel pinions of the drive shaft, a cam mounted to turn on said driven shaft,

means interposed between said gear rings and said cams for effecting the meshing engagement of one gear ring after the other with the respective inions in turn, such means being actuated by said cam the arrangement; being such t-hotthe continued movement of the disk in one'dircction will effect, the successive engagement of the gears without disengaging any gear.

6. The combination of a drive shaft, a series of bevel pihions thereon, a driven shaft, a disk fast on and driven shaft and provided 'with a series 0 a )ertures extending therethrough, a series 0 bevel gear wheels mount- I ed concentrically of each other and each provided with a set ofs okes slidingly mounted in the apertures 0 said disks, concentric rings secured to the outer ends of the respective sets of spokes, a series of pinions for each of said rings, a support. through which said pins are nzountedto slide so as to move said rings inwardly, and a cam disk mounted on the driven shaft and provided with cam surfaces adopted to successively engage the dif ferenl; sols or pins and move them inwardly,

the said cam surfaces being designed so as to oll'ect the pushing in of one set of ins after the other and to hold all of sin pins in ushcd-in condition at the same time, as and -o r Lhc )urpose scl forth. 7

7. T e combination of a. drive shait, a 50- rics of bevel pinions thereon, a driven shaft, a disk fast on said driven shaft and provided with it series of a through, a series 0 bevel gear wheels mounted concentrically of each other and each provided with a set of spokes slidingly mounted in the apertures of said disk, concentric rings secured to the outer ends of the respective sets of spokes, a series of pinions for each of sain rings, a support through which said pins are mounted to slide so as to'move said rings inwardly, and a cam disk mounted on the driven shaft and provided with cam surfaces adapted to successively engage the different sets of pins and move them inwardly, the said cam surfaces being designed so as to effeet the pushing in of one set of pins after the other and to hold all of said pins in pushed' condition at the same time, and springs encircling the said spokes the first named disk rings.

8. The combination of a. drive shaft, a series of bevel pinions thereon, a driven shaft, a disk fast on said driven shaft andprovided with a series of a erturcs extending therethrough, a series 0 bevel gear wheels mounted concentrically of each other and each provided with a set of spokes slidingly mounted in' each of said rings, a support through which said pins are mounted to slide so as to and bearing against and the concentric move said rings inwardly, and a cam disk mountedon the driven shaft and provided with cam surfaces adapted to successively engage the d fferent sets of pins and move ertures extending therethem inwardly, the said cam surfaces being 2 designed so as to effect the pushing in of one setiof pins after the other and to hold all 0! said pins in pushed in condition at the same time, and springs encircling the said s okes and bearing against the first named dis and the concentric rings, the pins being provided with rollers at their inner ends adapted to bear upon the respective rings.

9. The combination of a drive shaft, a series of be el pinions mounted thereon, a driven shaft at right angles to the drive shaft, a series of bevel gear rings mounted to turn on the drive shaft, and movable longitudinally of such shaft at one side of said bevel pinions, a reverse gear wheel mounted to turn on the driven shaft and movable longitudinally thereof and mounted to face said gear rings on the opposite side of said bevel pinions, means for moving said reverse gear wheel into engagement with one of saidpinions, and means for moving he said gear rings into successive engagement with the pinions and for holding each ring in successiv'e engagement while and after the next ring is moved into engagement with its pinion.

In testimony whereof we afi'ix our signat-ures'in presence of two witnesses.

\Vitnesses:

SARAH MITCHELL,

I [n s] CHARLES H. Pack. 7 

